7.15.2014

one of said adults, the six-foot-fifty-eight one, was sporting a fabulous, flowy, silky pants-thing that had holes for your footsies and shirring at the top. this dame, let's call her The Diva, wore them because she knew i would specifically be fascinated by them. indeed i was. i made her take them off that evening so's i could study 'em.

with two screaming nutjobs in the house in various states of undress, it wasn't weird at all.

come the morning, the happy horde left in a hot rush, and my reward was deciphering this design on a mysterious-but-famous designer silk crepe de chine panel print from mood fabrics. this birdcage yardage had been sitting on my table since spring-- after failing miserably on an anna sui print, i didn't want to ruin it more prettiness.

so of course i took a whack at it while my brain was still intoxicated by wining and wailing.

hours later, i threw open the bathroom door, revealing a towel clad ruggy (what is it about this tale and states of undress?) and shouted I DID IT! arms thrust high in the air over my head, goooooooal!!! my glee turned to absolute euphoria as ruggy slowly raised his eyebrows and declared.... i like it.

apparently, a lot of men like them. i get the most intriguing catcalls in these. older gentleman look at me with an appreciative, respectful eye. younger, not-so-gentle-men bring their remarks down to a hushed tone: GOTDAMM I LOVE YOU, said one as i walked in search of a quiet spot to shoot. a truck tooted his horn with the lightest of taps, three times, as i strode across the crosswalk. toot? toot toot?

hey man, you know what? sometimes it's nice to get a whistle or two-- especially when one has dressed 80% of one's body in voluminous drapey folds.

that said, there is some saran wrap going on in the form of shirring, about 20 or so lines of 1/4 inch shirring, to be exact. THAT TAKES FOREVER. this is the part that makes it possible to wear it as a romper or as a "skirt."

and IT. TAKES. FOREVER.

the eternity of which you can experience yourself at the end of the month when i'll be sharing a tutorial for these! once you get past the shirring, it's three seams, yo. seriously, no flaking on this promise, as it'll be part of simple simon's lovely skirting the issue tutorial hop. i've worn the two i've made more times than i can count-- breezy and cool, and you can lounge around in them with no fear of showing yo' lady parts in a gust of summer BBQ wind.

because sometimes it's good to be dressed.

this breezy, silky, wear-it-all-the-time thingy was made using my monthly fabric "allowance" as part of the Mood Sewing Network.

Love this on you! I would not ever, ever, bother to shirr fabric myself. Have tried it in the past, and came to the realization that life is too short to spend it shirring fabric on a machine that is allergic to elastic. For quite a while in the 70s and 80s you could find all sorts of pre-shirred fabrics by the yard in your local fabric emporium (tube tops, baby, and those shirred-top sundresses that the next generation after hippies favored). Don't know if such an animal is available any more, but it might encourage those of us who are afraid of shirring to emulate your romper stomper.

i mean, FOREVER. and as most shirring is done for chilluns who will grow out of it...WHY?! there are very few situations i deem worth shirring :).

yes, i've eyed that pre shirred fabric, they're still in the mix at joanns. this has a triangular shape beneath the shirring, which i think helps the drape, but i wondered that for the shir-afeared too.

They are superb. I think it is the sheer drop in these drop crotch pants that make them so hot. I think my fascination with drop crotch was extreeeeeemly fleeting, too fleeting even to sew anything. But this take brings makes me give them a whole new thought. Not so sure I'm keen on thinking much about shirring though. I had a stab at that three years ago and am still scarred.

Oh I hardly can't wait for the tutorial. These are amazing. At least on you they are. But I wouldn't mind getting some hoot hoot's wearing something like this at all. Very nice! I might even be able to fool my dad into believing it's a dress. Haha.

oh mah gahd. these[this?] are[is?] amazing. when i was a wee tot my aunt made me something very very similar but long sleeved. oh and also it was made out of horse printed polar fleece. i used to trip a lot. but i really liked pulling my feet up inside and rolling around like a giant baby. i can’t wait for your tutorial so i can relive this experience but a bazillion times chic-er!!

ohmerrrgherd. This. This is..ogm..I am speechless. In a good way. In an extremely good way. You are awesomesauce and I can't wait for a tutorial. This is what we all need. Something that looks like a dress but as the security of pants. Yes. I approve.

Oh these are fab Fab FAB!! You are a GENIUS for working these out and deserve all toots all the time! I might even have a go at some myself, not that we exactly get BBQ weather here in Wales but, y'know....

Wow, these are super fabulous - the fabric, the style, the perfect shirring...and I can't wait for the tutorial! I'm sure many people will be holding you to your promise so I'll just try to wait patiently :P.

If you hadn't said it's a romper I would have thought it's a maxi dress. I can't see a crotch at all. It looksy classy and comfortable at the same time and the fabric is to die for. (Any chance I can borrow that diva for a night in Berlin and be rewarded with beautiful silk fabric?)

A friend of mine sent me pictures of a frock/pantsuit with the same concept. She thought it would be ideal for my climate. I didn't follow through and make one, I thought it would just look daggy, but it doesn't on you. All those hoots and whistles suggest a lot of people out there agree with me :-)

i had a similar 'pants' that i made to wear while doing my digging jobs.. super comfy and super fabulous, plus no lady parts showing (and you do not want those parts showing while you squat in dirt, surrounded by 30 sweaty men).. but my version was pants, not the romper kind.. your version is way more cool, sis! and you look glorious wearing it!

You know, just yesterday I saw a women walking by in this garment! I said to Stef: "You know, that's basically a rectangle of fabric gathered at the top and sewn shut at the bottom. It would look more flattering just as a dress." And in that fabric (cheap looking turquoise) I'm sure it would. So I'm surprised it looks so amazing on you!! It just goes to show again that fabric makes all the difference!

aha!!!! 'tis true, but not quite! this one is made with rectangle, triangle, and curves, and i *think* it changes the drape of the bottom half. tho fabric is definitely a big part of it. i've never been a fan or shirred rectangles, they just sort of sink like a wide column, y'know?

Oh, also, this is the black colorway of a Thakoon print from spring of last year, I believe. I'm depressed I couldn't afford it at the time. Small human yard monkeys never keep their clothes on, even when not so small. I had to remind Simon to put pants on before going to the store with hubbinator. *sighs*

Oh my GOD, Oona, I was just waxing nostalgic like, last week, about this sunflower-print strapless shirred maxi dress I practically lived in for a summer as a young teen. I got it at a thrift store for PROBABLY less than $2 and I haven't seen it in YEARS, but this hellish California summer is making me yearn for it. (I think I stopped wearing it because I was getting a lot of leering and when I say YOUNG teen I do mean probably just barely a teen and the leers and comments made me very very uncomfortable. They still do, but now I've got a half-joking "misandry life" attitude to cope with it.)

I have a serious girl crush on you, especially even more so since you're sporting this romper (drop crotch fave) with so much style...and the comments, I LOVE IT! I LOL'd out loud when I read the "GD it I love you" bit......I know what he's saying YO because I LOVE YOU TOO! DAMNIT! Why can't i be your neighbor? Ok, to end your fears of a stalking MWF in the bushes I will top now. LOL :D CANNOT wait for the tute. XO

I just saw something similar on a young hipster here in Portland, although the top was not shirred...I can't remember the top because I kept staring at her foot crotch, hehe. This is very cool, I am intrigued! I am wondering if it would stand up to me sprinting after my runaway almost 4 year old? It almost looks like it might trip me mid-stride, haha. I was really into shirring all the things when I was first learning to sew, it does take forever but it looks like the rest would come together so quick, I wouldn't mind. I have an absolutely ginormous cone of elastic thread- a lifetime supply really :) Excited for your tutorial!!